Capturing Reality in True-3D

A spin-off of two major European research Labs, Acute3D – whose name associates the notions of 3D and precision – develops innovative software solutions allowing simple photographs to be turned into true-3D models automatically. In line with the company’s tag line, “capturing reality”, this French start-up is extending its offering to establish Smart3DCapture solutions as a standard for all segments of the 3D reconstruction market.

Acute3D is a French technological software company created in January 2011 by leveraging on 25 man-years of research at two major European research institutes, École des Ponts ParisTech and Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment. It won the French ‘Most innovative start-up’ award in the same year, and signed an industrial partnership with Autodesk. That led to the launch of 123D Catch, a free online solution allowing users to turn photos acquired with their smartphone into 3D models. With millions of recurrent users since its launch in 2012, 123D Catch and its core technology by Acute3D have proved to be robust and scalable. 

Capturing Cities

Having observed that three-dimensional city models were becoming more and more popular, and that there was a real need for automated solutions to match the scale of large urban areas, Acute3D decided to focus on the 3D mapping market. Its Smart3DCapture technology, embedded in both OEM and stand-alone solutions, allows airborne photography acquisition companies to offer affordable 3D reconstruction services to national and local governments within the framework of large-scale projects.

Beside proprietary solutions developed or acquired by Google, Apple or Microsoft, Smart3DCapture is still the only solution offered to professionals keen to map entire cities in 3D from aerial and street-level photographs.

Continue reading in the online edition of GIM International.